Battle of Grimball's Landing

The Battle of Grimball's Landing (16 July 1863) was a minor battle of the American Civil War that was fought between the 3,800-strong 1st Division, X Corps of the US Army under General Alfred Terry and the 3,000-strong 1st Military District, South Carolina of the Confederate States Army under General Johnson Hagood. The Union forces aimed to divert Confederate attention away from Fort Wagner with two feints: an amphibious force headed up the Stono River to threaten the Charleston & Savannah Railroad Bridge, while Alfred Terry's 1st Division landed on James Island. The Confederates attempted to attack Terry's camp and drive him from the island, but the Confederates did not map out the marshy ground adequately. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment held off the Confederate attack on their position in the regiment's first battle, and the regiment lost 14 dead, 17 wounded, and 12 captured. The Confederates were forced to retreat, albeit with lighter losses, allowing for the Union to prepare an attack on Fort Wagner.